1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of writing instruments generally and, more specifically, applies to pens, markers, marking pens, fountain pens as well as, possibly, pencils and mechanical pencils. Conventionally such designs included a standard barrel housing having a generally cylindrical configuration. Enhanced gripping devices have been utilized which usually include an exterior applied appliance which defines more easily grasped outer contours which can be made from softer more pliable and flexibly resilient material. In regard to textures as well as shape these designs have enhanced the gripping characteristics of the basic writing instrument barrel itself. The present invention, however, provides a uniquely co-molded barrel body wherein the outer flexibly resilient member is co-molded within a channel defines about a, preferably, imperforate interior core usually made of harder plastic material which facilitates manufacture or molding thereof as well as improving tactile control and the ability to customize the barrel by bending thereof as desired by a user's specific hand geometry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices have been patented for the purpose of improving the gripping characteristics and tactile comfort of writing instruments such as shown in United States Design Pat. No. Des. 95,135 patented Apr. 9, 1935 to O. Huber and assigned to Eagle Pencil Company on a "Design For A Mechanical Pencil"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 221,906 patented Sep. 14, 1971 to J. Collins et al and assigned to Collins on a "Writing Implement"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 252,757 patented Aug. 28, 1979 to O. Sublette on a "Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 256,925 patented Sep. 16, 1980 to P. Postrehovsky-Axel on a "Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 307,444 patented to N. Poisson et al on Apr. 24, 1990 and assigned to The Gillette Company on a "Grip Portion For A Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 310,101 patented Aug. 21, 1990 to R. Gauthier and assigned to Deidre Stanley on a "Combination Cover And Holder For Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 322,460 patented Dec. 17, 1991 to W. Herbst et al and assigned to The Gillette Company on a "Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 324,068 patented Feb. 18, 1992 to W. Herbst et al and assigned to Diesel Kiki Co. Ltd. on a "Writing Instrument Barrel"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 327,912 patented Jul. 14, 1992 to C. Tsai on a "Marking Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 338,039 patented Aug. 3, 1993 to O. Takahashi and assigned to Kotobuki & Co. Ltd. on a "Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 338,915 patented Aug. 31, 1993 to B. Willat on a "Writing Instrument"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 351,416 patented Oct. 11, 1994 to S. Oka et al and assigned to Pentel Kabushiki Kaisha on a "Ball Point Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 359,508 patented Jun. 20, 1995 to C. Debbas on an "Ergonomic Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 359,758 patented Jun. 27, 1995 to T. Inami and assigned to Pentel of America, Ltd. on a "Grip For A Writing Instrument"; and United Stated Design Pat. No. Des. 365,364 patented Dec. 19, 1995 to C. Tseng and assigned to Sunmex Import Corporation on a "Ballpoint Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 375,124 patented Oct. 29, 1996 to W. Kuo on a "Ballpoint Pen"; and United States Design Pat. No. Des. 379,227 patented May 13, 1997 to M. Rosen on a "Reflex-Correspondence Tool"; and U.S. Pat. No. 597,942 patented Jan. 25, 1898 to W. Blend on a "Penholder"; and U.S. Pat. No. 606,551 patented Jun. 28, 1898 to W. Huffman on a "Rubber Attachment For Pencils"; and U.S. Pat. No. 798,749 patented Sep. 5, 1905 to A. Rose on a "Covered Pen, Pencil &."; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,173,451 patented Sep. 19, 1939 to C. Lorber and assigned to Charles Lorber and Winfield R. Offutt on a "Finger Fitting Holder"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,231,410 patented Feb. 11, 1941 to E. A. Kern et al on a "Cushioned Lead Pencil"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,171 patented May 4, 1943 to J. G. Lipic, Jr. and assigned to Jos. Lipic Pen Co. on a "Holder For Pencils And The Like"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,372,914 patented Apr. 3, 1945 to A. Schweitzer on a "Pencil Lead Writing Utensil"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,404 patented Feb. 8, 1955 to F. H. Richterkessing and assigned to W. M. Cissell Manufacturing Company, Incorporated on a "Steam Gun With Carding Brush"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,838 patented Feb. 14, 1956 to J. J. Clancy et al and assigned to Arthur D. Little, Inc. on "Wrapped Pencil-Shaped Articles And Method Of Making Same"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,071 patented Nov. 28, 1972 to K. Muller et al and assigned to Bayer Aktiengesellschaft on a "Pencil Having A Formed ABS Polymer Barrel"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,898 patented Jan. 29, 1974 to C. Walker on a "Writing Facilitating Glove"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,088 patented Apr. 1, 1975 to I. Arons et al and assigned to Hasbro Industries, Inc. on "Pencil Sheath Compositions"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,408 patented Nov. 23, 1976 to I. Arons et al and assigned to Hasbro Industries, Inc. on a "Pencil Comprising A Marking Core And A Porous Resin Sheath"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,179 patented Oct. 31, 1978 to N. Pacheco on an "Orthopedic Finger Piece For Writing Instruments"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,978 patented Dec. 4, 1979 to J. Ruzicka et al on a "Pencil Sheath And Composition Therefor"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,415 patented Dec. 25, 1984 to K. Imamura et al and assigned to Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha on a "Method Of Coating A Pencil"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,297 patented Sep. 14, 1993 to J. Bachelet et al and assigned to Conte S. A. on a "Process For Manufacturing Pencil By Tri-Extrusion And The Produced Pencil Having An Intermediate Protective Casing"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,373 patented Oct. 12, 1993 to J. Ganske et al and assigned to WRS Group, Inc. on a "Shock Absorbing Pad"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,345 patented May 10, 1994 to J. Gershon on a "Writing Aid"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,140 patented Oct. 11, 1994 to M. Diakoulas on a "Covered Writing Instrument, And Process For Making Such Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,232 patented Oct. 18, 1994 to A. Skinner on a "Unified Writing Instrument And Eraser Dispenser"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,281 patented Nov. 1, 1994 to M. Kamen et al and assigned to Revlon Consumer Products Corporation on a "Cosmetic Pencil And Method For Making The Same"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,197 patented Nov. 15, 1994 to R. Powers on a "Cosmetic Pencil With Descending Sheath"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,041 patented Mar. 21, 1995 to E. Chiswell and assigned to BIC Corporation on a "Writing Instrument Barrel And Method Of Forming A Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,167 patented Sep. 5, 1995 to W. Fleischaker on a "Hand Pressure Level Threshold Sensor"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,083 patented Nov. 21, 1995 to D. Chesar on an "Instrument Hand Grip"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,162 patented Nov. 28, 1995 to B. Rubin on an "Ergonomic Hand-Held Implement"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,779 patented Aug. 27, 1996 to T. Stoecklein and assigned to Schean-Stabilo Schwanhaeusser on a "Process For The Production Of A Pencil"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,602 patented Sep. 17, 1996 to W. Leamond on an "Eraser Assembly"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,430 patented May 6, 1997 to C. Bistrack on an "Adaptable Pressuring Writing Instrument Holder"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,566 patented Jun. 17, 1997 to J. Wu on a "Combined Writing Instrument/Tool Holder"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,423 patented Sep. 2, 1997 to D. Walden on a "Gripping Aid For Writing Implements"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,191 patented Nov. 4, 1997 to S. Kageyama et al and assigned to Kotobuki & Co., Ltd. on a "Writing Tool"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,152 patented Feb. 10, 1998 to N. Kudo and assigned to Zebra Co. Ltd. on a "Writing Tool"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,622 patented Apr. 7, 1998 to N. Melnick et al and assigned to Pentech International Inc. on a "Writing Instrument With A Compressible Friction Coating And Method Of Making".